Maestro Marlene Urbay was born in Havana, Cuba; she is the founder and music director of the Florida Chamber Orchestra (1995) and former Music Director of the National Ballet of Cuba (1982-1991). Urbay graduated by Alejandro Garcia Caturla Conservatory in Havana,, National School of the Arts, 1980 and “Instituto Superior de Arte” in Havana, earning a degree in 1985 with exceptional high honors in orchestral conducting.

After immigrating to the United States in 1991, Maestro Urbay was Assistant Conductor of the University of Miami Symphony Orchestra, studied at the Manhattan School of Music and earned a Master’s Degree with excellence in orchestral conducting from the University of Miami School of Music in 1996.

Urbay has been guest conductor at the Philharmonic Orchestra of Lima, Perú, Symphony Orchestra of Mexico D.F., Symphony Orchestra of Puerto Rico, Philharmonic Orchestra of Tokyo and Osaka, Japan; Symphony Orchestra Betica of Sevilla, Symphony Orchestra of Silecia, Poland, Opera and Ballet orchestra in Prague, Czech Republic, Teatro de la Zarzuela, Liceo de Barcelona, and all the symphony orchestras in Cuba. She was “Director Huesped” with the National Dance Company in Mexico, D.F. at the famous “Bellas Artes” theatre from 2004 to 2007. In October 2012, she was invited to conduct the orchestra at the prestigious XII Violin’s Festival Orchestra, Lima, Peru. In December 2011 she was invited to conduct the Nutcracker season with Ballet Concerto of Puerto Rico and in December 2013 she conducted the Nutcracker season at San Jose Ballet, California with the Silicon Valley Symphony Orchestra.

She is the only Latin American woman conductor to earn a special award at Poland’s prestigious G. Fitelberg competition for international orchestra conductors.